The 39-year-old denies the charge but accepts he picked the girl up in Deiniolen, claiming it was because she was running towards him and would they would have collided had he not lifted her up.

Hickling, of Prestatyn , was asked how he felt about his behaviour on the day by his barrister Dafydd Roberts.

Holding a paper tissue, Hickling said: “I am deeply saddened by the fact that what I thought at the time was acceptable behaviour. I can understand entirely why.”

“Were you trying to kidnap her?” the lawyer asked.

“No,” said Hickling.

He told Caernarfon Crown Court he had been staying at a caravan park near Llanberis following the breakdown of a relationship.

During the afternoon of May 27 he had been drinking wine and rum at the caravan park before heading off to Prestatyn to meet a friend and watch a football match.

Hickling said he was not drunk but after his arrest he failed a breath test.

He said there was no apparent reason for him to turn off the main road and end up in Deiniolen but he found himself on the Pentre Helen housing estate and saw a group of children aged 10-12 playing on a grassy embankment.

He had joined in their game, had squirted water at them and asked them to help him find his e-cigarette. Later he joined a football game nearby and the initial group joined in.

It was then the alleged incident took place. Hickling denied he had taken a few steps towards his car until the girl kicked him and he let her go.

After being challenged by adults about why a complete stranger was playing with young children, he left.

Prosecutor Elen Owen said the incident happened at about 7pm and he was arrested by police in Prestatyn 70 minutes later.

Ms Owen asked if his behaviour that day was “out of the ordinary or out of character”.